What is the length of your common channel, and are you having problems?

My CC is is 75cm.  I don't have any gas or bathroom issues at all.  The only thing I am dealing with right now is a slight Vitamin A deficiency, after supplementing 50,000IU everyday for 6 months it's somewhat low.  I am now up to 100,000 IU.  So we'll see how well it works itself out when I get my labs drawn again in November.

Hi!  I had kind of a freaout about common channel lengths back in June!  So you are not alone at all!  I will post the link to that thread b/c I think that it will help you feel better.

Surgeons do different things...so you have to trust your surgeon to know what he is doing is best for you, otherwise you might want to find a new surgeon.

Mine bases the common channel length on the total length of the intestines. 

Best of luck to you!   I hope this helps.  It helped me calm down and realize that my surgeon does know what he's doing and that I am going to be fine and lose the weight that I need to!

www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/3949156/Kinda-of-Freaked-Out/

Mine is about 100 cm.  My doc does a pretty standard common channel length on all his patients.   I have had gas and deficiency issues, despite careful supplementation, and despite a fairly conservative common channel length.   However, I've gotten down to a weight I am supremely happy with, and really don't have to work hard to maintain at all.  I guess that's the trade-off.   Three weeks out of the month, my gas is 100% controllable by eating a diet low in sugar and white flour.  For some reason, though, during the week of my period, I get very gassy and constipated and it seems that nothing I do seems to help it.   I have also struggled with iron, vitamin D and calcium deficiency issues, and am seeing an endocrinologist for that.   I am not thrilled with these issues, but in the scope of things, they are very minor.   I'd still have the DS every year for the rest of my life to achieve the results that I have.    

My CC is 125....feel pretty good so far. However, take it with a grain of salt as I am a newbie & still on mush & lots of water. I can tell you for sure it feels great having that little demon out of me- should have done it years ago :) Best,

I have a 125 CM cc and I have no problems, no issues that I do not control. Sometimes I eat too much pasta and fail to control the gas, or I eat a bunch of fresh cherries and give myself a case of the Rocky Mt. quick step, but that has nothing to do with the length of my common channel.

KErry 

My CC is 75 cm.  My surgeon uses the Hess Method, but I did ask her if possible to leave me on the shorter end of normal.

I guess it all worked out.

The only gas and diarrhea issues I have is with carbs and sugar, and some of my levels are trending downward, specifically protein and calcium.  I understand the calcium, since I've been having difficulty with the method of delivery, but protein I don't understand. Nevertheless, I'm adding a protein supplement, in addition to the one I left in my eating plan "just to be sure". 

Ask your doctor what method he/she uses to determine common channel length.  If the doc draws a blank, I'd make sure he/she is clear that you are signing up for the DS, not the RNY.

50 cm and no big problems so far.  Some gas, but I really can't complain.  I'm nearing on 80 pounds lost!

I have a 100 cc and have had zero problems so far, 17 months out. I lost 200 pounds pretty quickly and easily. No gas troubles, no weird BMs so far.

Nicolle

Dr. G. uses the Hess method for determining limb lengths. You can read up on that via Google or on one of the DS info sites.

My common channel is 75 cm, or a little over 10% of the total length of my small intestine. My surgeon also uses Hess method.

I run deficient in A, D and E and must supplement these in very large doses. That's a small issue, three little pills per day for each one. Thus far I'm doing okay in other nutrients as long as I keep up with my supplements and a minimum of 100 grams of protein daily. If my activity level jumps significantly or my schedule changes so that I slack off on eating, the weight falls off like crazy. So I have to be attentive every single day to getting in enough food. But this is no hardship for me.

I get gas if I eat certain white flour products or drink carbs. Otherwise it's pretty much a non issue.

I have a 100cc and no issues with bowels, unless i indulge too much in simple carbs.